Community impact beyond the classroom

While using satellite imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) software to help identify unmapped areas of Nigeria, Arroyo Valley High School student Miriam Jacquez began to see a powerful connection between her own community and one half a world away. The experience took place during Geography Week at the University of Redlands, where Arroyo Valley students participated in a Humanitarian Mapathon — an event highlighting how geospatial technology can be used for social good.

“When we began to work with maps during the Mapathon, a lot of the buildings we identified looked like communities,” she said. “It helped me understand that these are people’s homes — similar to our Arroyo Valley classroom project, where we are looking at jobs and housing in San Bernardino and the large footprint warehouses have.”

That moment of recognition reflects a broader goal of a first-of-its-kind dual credit partnership between the University of Redlands, San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), and Esri. Through the partnership, students at Arroyo Valley High School can take college-level GIS courses during the regular school day at no cost — earning college credit while gaining early exposure to career pathways in geospatial technology.

For Jacquez, the Humanitarian Mapathon demonstrated how classroom learning can translate into real-world contributions, like identifying water and power sources that can save lives during a natural disaster.

“Applying what we’ve learned in class further showed me how the tools I’ve become familiar with can directly impact our world,” she said. “I realized how dependent we are on maps and how other places aren’t as fortunate to have the same level of mapping. It had never crossed my mind before, but it made me appreciate that there are ways to help.”

Connecting students to that sense of purpose is central to Arroyo Valley teacher Sam Moore’s approach in the classroom, where he has integrated GIS into his curriculum, emphasizing civic engagement, college readiness, and career exploration.

“From a teaching perspective, the Mapathon directly connects my students with community impact and the idea of civic technology, meaning that in some way, they can use technology to benefit communities,” he said.

“Data science is often very misunderstood, and at the Mapathon, being able to show them how data can be translated into very powerful forms of information through visualization and mapping is a way for them to connect all those dots. They can see the power behind understanding how to organize and create opportunities for other cultures and communities through data.”

That understanding has resonated with Moore’s students, Alexander Venegas and Alexander Gomez, both of whom are considering careers in civil engineering.

“Knowing the basic needs of a city — how people travel, where businesses can be located, making school locations accessible, all come through having an understanding and using GIS,” Venegas said. “It can also serve on a larger scale when it comes to travel — ensuring people don’t get lost and that first responders can do their jobs effectively,” Gomez said.

For U of R, Geography Week provided an opportunity to showcase the full scope of geospatial education and its human impact. Julia Lenhardt, director of geospatial technology, emphasized the importance of pairing technical skills with real-world context.

“These students are on a cyber-tech track at their school, which focuses on the technology side of things—the Mapathon adds a human component and context to that,” she said. “Mapping part of Nigeria speaks to our responsibility to give back to others who don’t have this technology and contribute to a project that doesn’t take much and doesn’t focus on the technology. With very basic GIS skills, they can make a difference for people who are half a world away.”

Discover GIS at Redlands.